The Arrangement
by FullMoonLuver09
Summary: A cute story I came up with hope you enjoy
1. The Arrangement

Chapter 1:

**A little note: I'm a total Taang and Zutara fan so if you don't support them BEWARE!**

Chapter 1:

The Arrangement

"Fire Lord Zuko." said a guard as he walked into the dinning room interrupting the twenty-one year old fire lord's dinner.

"Yes?"

"You have guests in the war room." replied the guard as he bowed.

"Who is it?" asked Zuko curious of who would want to meet him at this time in the morning.

"They didn't say sir."

"Tell them I'll be there in a minute." replied Zuko as he went back to his breakfast.

_I wonder who would need to see me before nine its only seven _thought Zuko as he finished his meal and walked down the hall toward the war room where he meet with anyone from the Avatar to one of his many generals. Realization dawned as he came to the two massive doors and opened them to reveal the person he suspected and three he hadn't.

"Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph it's good to see you here." said Zuko as he hugged his friends.

"Well I figured I was due for a visit to the fire nation before me and Toph went home until after Christmas and when I stopped to visit the Kyoshi Islands and told Sokka and Katara that I was going to stop here they said they would like to come visit." replied Aang as they sat down at the table.

"So how's the South Pole?" asked Zuko as he thanked a servant who'd brought some tea and some snacks.

"Good I actually started sort of a water bending and warrior academy." said Katara as she sipped her tea and glanced at her brother.

"That's great I bet I know who the water bending teacher is." Zuko smiled as the water bending master blushed and hid her face behind her cup. "Sokka how's Ty Lee?"

"Good she's just having morning sickness."

"She's pregnant again?" Zuko raised his eyebrows as he said this. Since their twins, Pak and Kanna, were only three, he hadn't expected her to be pregnant yet, not to mention their third child was only two.

"Yeah she thinks its twins again." Sokka smiled as he said this, since his wife was so sure.

"So how's the peace here in the firenation?" asked Aang as he started eating a firenation dessert.

"Good I'm thinking of building a new academy that would be for girls and boys. It would teach everything from manners to how to use weapons and firebending."

"That would be good to allow even girls to participate." said Sokka as he stopped eating to avoid getting a glare from his sister.

"Yeah that's what I figured too." replied Zuko as he and the others stood up. "Would anyone like to see the construction site?"

"Sure." replied everyone in unison and as everyone else rushed ahead to the construction site Zuko and Katara walked slowly behind talking about their nation's problems.

"Zuko I need to tell you something." whispered Katara as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

"What is it?" asked Zuko as he looked ahead to make sure that the others weren't noticing them lagging behind.

"I can't tell you here can you meet me near the rose maze after dinner?" asked Katara as she nervously looked back between him and the others.

"Sure but can you tell me what's the matter?"

"No." said Katara as she started walking fast to catch up with the others.

_I hope this isn't something big _thought Zuko as he followed her and prepared himself for an interesting evening spent with the blue eyed water tribe girl.

Later that evening…..

Katara practically wolfed down her food at dinner in fear of what she had to tell Zuko and as he wiped his mouth at the end of dinner she quietly excused herself and walked to the place where they had agreed on and waited for Zuko to arrive.

"Zuko thanks for agreeing to talk with me in private." said Katara as they started walking until they came to the bench they always sat on when she came to visit.

"No problem butwhat's wrong?" asked Zuko as he reached to take her hands.

"What's wrong? Your nation contacted my tribe and arranged a marriage between me and you without asking us." hollered Katara as she pulled her hands from his and started pacing in front of the bench they had sat down on.

"Why us?" asked Zuko as he walked to the edge of the bridge they were on and looked down at the water.

"That's what I asked them and they said that we were the best candidates for an arranged marriage because we've known each other since the war and that we're from opposite nations." said Katara as she continued to holler his ears off.

"I think we can make it work." said Zuko quietly when she stopped yelling.

"What?" asked Katara as she stopped pacing and leaned next to him to see his face.

"I would thank that because we're friends we could make it work and also because I don't know how you feel, but I have stronger feelings for you." said Zuko with a sigh as he pushed away from the railing and turned to face her.

"You do?" Katara looked at his face and blushed. "I thought you thought of me as a little sister."

"I don't think brothers want to kiss their sisters when they step off the ship looking so cute." Zuko smiled at her shocked face and shocked her even more when he leaned and kissed her on the lips.

"Well while we're admitting our feelings, I have to admit I think I've felt something ever since you helped Sokka save my dad but I didn't know until you became Fire Lord and I saw how you dealt with the people how I felt for sure." Katara smiled as she hugged him. "I'm glad I knew you before you joined us."

"But I was so, well, bad." Zuko pulled back and grabbed her hands.

"And because I knew you were bad, when you really became good I knew. Well I guess Sokka and Aang knew something we didn't." Katara stopped laughing as she thought of something. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah I'm diffidently nervous. Are you?"

"About being married to you? No, I'm nervous about being the Fire Lady more than anything." Zuko laughed at her and had to duck to avoid being hit over the head.

"If I can be Fire Lord than you'll do fine. Did you know that Mai's father asked me a week ago if I regretted not marrying her and you know what I told him? I told him I regretted breaking her heart but not that." Zuko smiled at the sky and told her that it seemed like opposites were marrying each other a lot here lately.

"Zuko promise me one thing." Katara looked up at the sky and took a breath. "Promise that we'll always visit my family and Aang and stay close with them."

"I promise." said Zuko as they wished on a star that they'd be blessed.


	2. Thank You

Chapter 2:

Chapter 2:

Thank You

"Lady Katara I'm sorry to interrupt you but your brother is here." Katara looked away from the mirror from pulling her hair up to find one of the guards in her door way.

"Thank you would you please show him to the dinning room so he can join me for dinner."

"Yes my lady." and with a bow the guard was gone as quickly as she had appeared.

Katara looked over to the bed at her sleeping husband and sighed. Two days ago he had developed a headache and a cough and then today the doctor had declared that he needed to stay in bed. After she told him she'd bring him some supper and gave him a kiss, she started down the long hall to the dinning room were two guards bowed and opened the doors.

"Sokka what are you doing here? And where's Ty Lee?" asked Katara as she hugged her brother and sat down next to him and started eating.

"I needed to ask Zuko something and Ty Lee said she didn't feel like traveling." said Sokka as he started looking for a dish with meat. "She's due any day."

"Well Zuko's in no condition to have a meeting with you unless it's in our bedroom. The doctor says he doesn't think it's anything serious but that Zuko shouldn't be up that much." replied Katara as she thanked the servant who'd set the table earlier. They ate in silence until Sokka got his fill of meat.

"Well I'll just ask you than. Fist, would you mind if me and Ty Lee name our baby, if it's a girl, Kanna? And second can I borrow some of your tea for morning sickness?"

"First, I wont mind if you do. Second, I'll see if I can find some." said Katara as she smiled at her brothers concern.

"Thanks."

"No problem." said Katara as she told Sokka she'd find him later and took Zuko's lunch to their room. Katara thought as she watched Zuko fall back to sleep that she was glad she and Zuko's marriage had been arranged.

The next day…..

Katara hummed as she water bended in one of the gardens Zuko had built for her. Soon after they had married four months ago he had built one garden deigned specifically for her bending practices which contained a pond and fountains and another for her to get away from anyone she wanted to avoid. She sighed things had worked out just like Zuko had said they would since she had took his advice and considered this an extension of their friendship. If someone asked her to describe her marriage with Zuko she would've told them that she was falling in love with her husband and that he was her best friend.

"See you still like to play with 'magic water'." said Sokka sarcastically as he sat down on a bench behind her. Katara smiled as she turned to face him.

"And I see your still sleeping in late. Even with a headache Zuko still wakes up before you." fired back Katara as she bended water over his head causing him to duck.

"Well you know what he, says something like 'Water tribe's rise with the moon, firebenders rise with the sun'. Oh by the way I talked to Zuko he said you and him are going to visit Toph and Aang when their baby comes."

"Oh really he didn't tell me that we're going to do that." replied Katara as she bended the water back into the fountain and then sat down next to him.

"He said he hadn't talked to you yet so he couldn't say whether or not ya'll were coming." said Sokka absently as he drew out his sword and started sharpening it.

"Sokka what's bothering you?" asked Katara as she pulled her hair up in the formal topknot that pretty much all fire nation nobles wore.

"Ty Lee's sick all the time so I want to bring something special back for her." said Sokka sadly as he stared at his sword.

"Ok I can help you." said Katara as she smiled at his concern over his wife.

"Well if it helps she likes pink." stated Sokka as he perked up.

"Ok, well go before you leave." said Katara as she noticed something else. "What else?"

"Well I know you're happy with Zuko, but are you mad at me for putting you and him together with out asking you two?" said Sokka as he put his sword up.

"No I'm grateful. I never knew what Zuko went through and to share that with him is sort of cool." Katara smiled at her answer as she realized it was true.

"Well now that I think about it I did sort of ask Zuko but he didn't know it."

"What did you ask him?" asked Katara as her curiosity got peeked.

"Well it was actually five questions to be exact." said Sokka as he looked over at her and smiled the smile that meant that he knew something she didn't. He was baiting her and she knew it but for once she would play stupid and play along to gain an answer to her questions.

"Well what were the questions you asked him?" asked Katara like an actress. He took her bait.

"First question: Did he think my sister was a good bender? Second question: Would he like to be married to a woman from a different nation? Third question: If anything ever happened to us would he help you out? Fourth question: Did he like big families? Fifth question: What's his favorite nation?" recited Sokka satisfied with himself.

"Ok that's nice but what were his answers?" asked Katara almost losing her patience with her brother.

"First answer: Yes she was a great bender. Second answer: He didn't think he would mind being married to a woman from a different nation. Third answer: He would do his best but that he thought she probably wouldn't need much help from him since she was so tough and level headed. Fourth answer: He liked small families since he was raised in one but that he didn't think it would matter if he had a big family. Fifth answer: He had two; fire and water since they're opposites." answered Sokka as he pulled his sword back out to inspect.

Katara thanked her brother and left him to go check on the person that they were just talking about. She opened the door to find Zuko standing next to the bed looking sick, well sicker than he already did.

"What are **you** doing out of bed?" asked Katara as she walked over to stand in front of him and crossed her arms.

"I thought I was feeling better until I stood up then I knew that I just feel better laying down." said Zuko as he sat back down on the bed and looked up at her with a weak smile.

"Well don't do it again or you'll never make it out of this bed." fussed Katara as she returned to the door to close it and helped him back in bed. She was just about to leave when she remembered something. "Zuko thank you."

"Can you tell me for what?" asked Zuko as he opened his eyes to look over at her.

She shook her head and smiled and said "Just thank you."

And with that she closed the door before he could ask anymore questions.


	3. Secrets

Chapter 3:

**Here's the third chapter hope you enjoy! **

Chapter 3:

Secrets

Katara smiled as she watched the harbor come into sight as she thought that it seemed like only yesterday that they had set sail and not a month ago, but then again to her it seemed like time was traveling extremely fast since she and Zuko had married four months ago. Katara pushed away from the railing and walked back down to her and Zuko's room to find him gone and a note on the bed. She scanned it to see if it said where he was and smiled at his weak attempt to give subtle directions. As she walked up to the bridge of the ship she thought about the changes in her moods lately: Moody, sick, not able to eat, and, as Zuko had found out, not in the mood for his not-so-funny jokes.

"Zuko I saw Toph and Aang while I was waterbending." said Katara as she stopped next to him.

"I know. How about you go back down and get some of your fresh air?" asked Zuko as he looked up from a map the captain had given him.

"Ok, I'll be up there after I change out of these thick robes. I'm glad you thought of taking some light robes and some of our, as kids call them, rebel clothes." Katara laughed after she said this as she thought about one kid who had started the term 'rebel clothes', which had caught on.

"Yeah I figured you wouldn't want to wear them everywhere." said Zuko as he became engrossed in studying the map.

Katara sighed as she entered her room to change and thought not for the first time that her husband was the nicest man in the firenation.

**--**

Zuko thought that if Katara didn't get to feeling better before they left after Christmas he just might become the nicest man in the firenation from trying to make her feel better. He sighed as he walked back up to make sure things were in order and thought that he was glad he had known Katara before they had married so he knew most of her moods, but even with that advantage, Zuko thought with her recent change in moods he'd be running to Aang for advice.

"Zuko don't take any offense at this but I'm glad to be out of those robes, I feel better already. I feel bad for you wearing all those robes all the time since you were a kid, I mean you let me dress light but all them robes, whew!" exclaimed Katara as she came up next to him and leaned on the railing next to him.

"No offense taken I actually hate wearing all those robes all the time too that's why I take trips so I can ditch these robes." Zuko smiled as he admitted this, he would never tell his generals this of course but that was the reason why he took so many.

"Oh really and no ones never been suspicious?" asked Katara with a raised eyebrow. "If not I might have to come supervise these trips."

"Ha-ha, your welcome to come any time. Vacations might be fun with you tagging along." Zuko smiled as he saw what looked like Aang trying to win an argument with Toph but even though she'd started her own earthbending academy, it didn't seem like she'd slowed down any. Zuko whispered that maybe that's why Aang was in such good shape because of her drilling which made Katara laugh but she said that he was probably right.

"Zuko, Katara! It's so good to have you for Christmas here." hollered Aang who, even at the age of seventeen, was as energetic as he was the day he woke up at the South Pole.

"Thanks for inviting us." replied the twenty-one year old and much calmer Zuko with a smile as they walked to the carriage that would take them to the Bei Fong estate Toph had inherited when her parents had died due to an illness.

"Zuko can I talk to you in private about something?" whispered Aang as they watched Katara and Toph go off on their own.

"Sure I need to talk to you too." replied Zuko as he followed Aang into a joining garden.

"So what's up?" asked Aang as they walked through the garden.

"I don't know I'm just worried about some stuff." Zuko shrugged as he sat down on a rock behind him.

"You worried about you and Katara?" asked Aang as he petted Momo who'd landed on his shoulder.

"Not myself. Katara's been acting weird lately."

"Probably just feeling the effects of having people look up to her." Aang smiled reassuringly.

"Your turn now, spill it." Zuko knew from experience that if he didn't push, Aang would just put it off.

"Ok I need a favor I don't want Toph to be alone when the baby comes so I was wondering if maybe we could come stay with you so if I'm called away on business she would be with friends." asked Aang as he looked back at the entrance to see Katara coming.

"Me and Katara won't mind." replied Zuko as they walked toward the house. And as they walked back to the house Zuko didn't think that Aang's explanation worked for him. There had to be something more wrong with Katara and he was going to find out.

**Later that evening…**

"Toph I need to talk to you." said Katara as she came in to her friends' room. "Why were you napping?"

"Huh? Oh I just felt a little tired was all." said Toph as she sat up and smiled.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should go see a doctor." Katara felt her head but felt nothing.

"Aang has me scheduled for a visit. Maybe you should come have the doctor examine you because of your symptoms." said Toph as slapped her hand away.

"Alright if you insist." said Katara as she got up and checked her appearance in the mirror, a habit from being the Fire Lady. "Well let's go see if our husbands are ready to eat."

Katara hummed as she walked toward the room where her friend met with anyone important. She knocked and raised her eyebrows as she heard what sounded like someone falling.

"Katara what did you need?" asked Aang as he opened the door with a red mark on his forehead from falling.

"I was coming to see if y'all were ready to eat." Katara peeked past his shoulder to see Zuko putting three candles back on the table they were originally on.

"Yeah we'll be there in minute." Aang shut the door leaving Katara more confused than she was when he'd opened it. _Odd_ thought Katara as she walked back to the dinning room to wait with Toph. They waited five minutes before Zuko and Aang came in.

"What did you guys talk about?" asked Katara as she sipped her tea and looked to her friend who was smiling. Zuko nearly jumped at her question and started stuttering like a five-year-old. Aang did the same thing except he answered with the defense that they talked about Avatar/Fire Lord stuff.

Katara thought that this would be an interesting Christmas if everyone was keeping secrets.


	4. Answers

Here's the fourth chapter this one and the third are sort of connected enjoy

**Here's the fourth chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 4:

Answers

Zuko looked both ways as he came down the hall to where Aang and him were supposed to meet and sighed judging from his friends face the news wasn't good.

"Aang what did you need to tell me that couldn't wait until later?" asked Zuko as he sat down tiredly on a pillow since he had had to sneak out of his and Katara's room at six-thirty in the morning.

"Something's wrong I have to go to Omashu tomorrow." said Aang as he paced in front of the door.

"You want us to take Toph home with us early?" asked Zuko as he finally became fully awake.

"Yeah I don't know what's wrong but they want me to come." replied Aang worriedly. He wasn't hiding the fact that this had him scared, and since there had been no big problems in the last two years, he had a right.

"Ok since Christmas is two days away, we'll just stay here until after then and you can join us when you're done with this business." Zuko stood walked over and placed his hand on his Aang's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Listen it probably won't take that long so you'll be in the firenation next week or the week after."

"I hope you're right. Sorry about waking you up can you sneak back in since it's almost time to get up?" asked Aang as he picked up his already prepared bag.

"Well I did have to pretend that I was her brother to get out since she was talking in her sleep and that was something else. But I'll just sneak back in and if she wakes up I'll tell her I couldn't sleep again and that I took a walk." Zuko smiled as he closed the door behind them and had a thought. "Hey maybe I should use that excuse more often, even though the meditations are helping me sleep better."

"Ha-ha, I wish I could tell a lie, but Toph would just feel my vibrations and know I was lying." Aang shrugged even though having a friend who could tell if someone was lying was a great advantage, having a wife who knew if you were lying didn't work out too well.

"Yeah Katara pretty much knows when I'm lying too, so it might not work." Zuko sighed as they reached Appa. He turned to face his friend. "Does Toph know that you're leaving for a little while?"

"Yeah, she was there when I got the message. Oh I almost forgot, Toph wouldn't tell me until late last night but she said she and Katara are going to see the doctor but don't say anything or me and you both will be dead meat." Aang laughed at the look on Zuko's face and then became serious. "Take care of them." Aang hopped up on Appa, waved and then was gone like that. Zuko thought that he'd do anything to protect Toph and Katara.

--

Katara yawned as she stretched and she was just about to get out of bed when she noticed her husband. He'd gone to bed in just pants and was now in his shirt and pant robe. Katara smiled as she got ready. He obviously had gotten up during the night and she felt bad that she was going to have to wake him.

"Zuko, Zuko wake up." Katara shook his shoulder and huffed. The man slept like a rock since they'd gotten married. Katara smiled. Desperate times, called for desperate measures. She water bended water from the flowers and opened the door and right before she left she water bended the water right on his face.

"Katara!" hollered Zuko as she ran down the hall knocking Toph over.

"Where's the fire?" asked Toph as she stood up.

"My husband will be looking for me, so you never saw me." Katara ran into the library and shut the door. He'd never find her in here. With its large size she could stay in one place for a long time before he'd get close to her. _He's going to grumpy; he always is when I have to wake him up that way _thought Katara as she grabbed a book from the shelve titled _An Avatar's Journey _which had been written by Aang after the war.

"Katara" singed Zuko as he came into the library and shut the door behind him. Katara peeked around the book shelve to see him coming right for her and it was her luck she couldn't move without coming out. _I thought he wouldn't find me in here_ thought Katara as she thought about creating a wall of ice to keep him out and to keep him from trying to go dump her in the fountain.

"Katara I know you're in here." Zuko stopped before he got to her row and amazingly turned and left the library. _Must have been a servant _Katara stepped out and slipped out without him noticing. Or so she thought.

"There you are Katara." said Zuko as he walked up to her from the garden.

"Here I am. What did you need?" asked Katara as she started walking **away** from the fountain.

"Toph told me you and her are going to the doctor today."

"Um-huh, I'm going to have them check me for my mood swings." Katara realized that they'd ended up back in the house. "Actually we're leaving right now. Zuko is Aang gone?"

"Yeah had to check something out in Omashu." said Zuko as he walked her to where Toph was waiting. "Be careful please."

"Zuko we'll be fine. We'll have two guards following us, Toph's a blind earthbending master and I'm a waterbending master." Katara kissed him and told him they'd be back by supper.

"Hey Katara are you worried when Zuko goes off?" asked Toph as they entered a store that was selling bending scrolls and other stuff.

"A little, especially if he's going to another nation that might still hold a grudge." Katara thought about the first time he'd went off after they'd married. She'd been worried sick until he'd walked in during dinner and announced that he was starving. "But I just tell myself he's going to be fine and he's helping someone."

"I say the same thing when Aang leaves, only I tell myself I can't expect him not to get hurt." Toph laughed. "Because expecting the Avatar **not** to get hurt is like expecting the sun not to rise and set."

"That's true." Katara smiled when something caught her eye. On the top shelve was a bright ruby stone which almost looked like a dragons eye _Zuko will love this_ thought Katara as s picked it up and checked to see if it was real and was surprised to find that it was_._

"Hey Katara." hollered Toph from the back of the store.

"What?" asked Katara as she walked to where her friend was waiting for her with something in her hand.

"Do you think Aang will like this?" Katara had to smile; again. Toph was holding an old airbending scroll.

"Yes I do. Now can we go see the doctor?"

"Sure." Toph told the guards to place the items on the counter so she could pay.

"Toph let me pay for mine." But her friend wasn't hearing any of it. Katara almost wondered if her friend hadn't been born deaf instead of blind. Katara smiled thirty minutes later as she and Toph walked home from town. She and Toph now had their answers for their weird behavior. They were pregnant. Five months to be exact, which meant that she had gotten pregnant a month after her and Zuko, had married and Toph a year after her and Aang had gotten married.

"Hey Katara how are you going to tell Zuko?" asked Toph as they walked into the house.

"How is she going to tell me what?" asked Zuko as he came from Aang's office with a book.

"Well I don't know how to say it other than I'm pregnant." Katara smiled as she was pulled into a death lock hug.

"Really?" asked Zuko as he sat her down.

"Yes you're going to be a dad." Katara laughed as she was pulled into another hug. "There's more."

"What?" asked Zuko as he tried to calm down enough to hear her.

"Toph's pregnant too." Katara laughed as Zuko hugged the woman people had called 'The Blind Bandit'.

"Congratulations." said Zuko as he led them to the dinning room to eat.

"Well I'm glad our families can share in the happiness." Zuko smiled. He had his answer to his question and he liked it.


	5. Twins

Whew those last chapterswipes brow were sort of dragged out sorry

**This was my favorite! **

Chapter 5:

Twins

"Zuko wake up!" screamed Katara as another contraction hit her.

"What?" asked Zuko groggily as he sat up and looked over at her and instantly became awake.

"Get Toph tell her I need her now!" ordered Katara as the contraction subsided and she fell back on her pillow. Zuko ripped the doors open to Aang and Toph's room not mindful of their week old daughter.

"Toph, Katara needs you now!" hollered Zuko which woke up their daughter, whose name was Ling.

"Ok you don't have to wake the dead!" hollered Toph as she jumped out of bed and ran across the hall.

"Sorry Aang I'm just nervous." said Zuko apologetically as he took Ling from Aang so Aang could change.

"I know what you mean I remember barging in on Katara and yours sleep when Ling was born, so we're even." Aang laughed as he took Ling and rocked her back to sleep and laid her back down on the bed.

"Aang did you want a boy or a girl?" asked Zuko as they sat down in chairs placed in front of his and Katara's bedroom for this purpose.

"I wanted a girl. But Toph wanted a boy so we were split on the issue." Aang smiled as he remembered the way her face had looked when he said that he had won the bet because they had a daughter who, because he had won the bet, was named Ling.

"I want a boy and I think Katara wants a girl, but I'll be happy no matter what it is." Zuko heard Aang's daughter crying so he told Aang he would go get her.

"Thanks." said Aang as he accepted Ling and started smiling at her which always made her laugh.

The next thing that happened was that Toph stepped out and pronounced that he had a beautiful boy and girl and that Katara wanted him to come in. Zuko smiled as he closed the door and came to sit on the bed.

"What are we going to call them?" asked Katara as she let him hold his son and daughter.

"I like the name Kenai, but that's just me." Zuko smiled as his son and daughter blinked their eyes at him and Zuko thought that if they could talk they would already have whatever they wanted.

"Kenai…I like it, its sort of water tribe but yet its still firenation, and how about Mika for her?" asked Katara as she started to fall asleep.

"That sounds nice, Prince Kenai and Princess Mika of the firenation, son and daughter of fire lord Zuko and fire lady Katara."

Katara smiled as she watched Zuko start talking to Kenai and Mika as if they already knew what he was talking about. And as she fell asleep Katara thought that her son and daughter were the luckiest kids in the whole firenation.

Nine years later…….

"Kenai where's your sister?" Zuko called to his nine-year-old son as he came into the garden that his son and daughter always played in.

"She's probably with Kanna trying to teach her to firebend in the big garden." replied Kenai as he stopped doing his waterbending exercises that his mother had assigned him, so he could go with his father to check on his cousin and sister. They were there of course and Mika, who, like her brother had started bending at the age of six was trying to teach their eight year-old cousin how to firebend, unfortunately all Kanna could make was sparks unlike her twin sister, La who was starting to firebend and train as a mini Kyoshi warrior. Kenai walked over to his sister and whispered something he had learned at the academy in her ear which made her laugh. Zuko smiled at his twins who were complete opposites of what the fire sages had said they would be. Kenai, who they had said was going to be a great firebender, was a waterbender like Katara and Mika, who they said would not bend at all, was a firebender like him.

"Mika, Kenai, and Kanna its time to go inside before everyone gets mad because they can't eat." Zuko smiled as they all started groaning 'but dad' or 'but Uncle Zuko'. "No buts everyone's probably starving so come on."

Zuko walked ahead so he could let Katara know that they could start eating.

"Katara I found them so we can start eating once they get here." Zuko whispered to his wife as he sat down.

"Good, Ty Lee was getting worried that Kanna had wondered off and had gotten lost." said Katara as she scanned the table to make sure everyone was here and mentally checked everyone off; Her father, Sokka, Ty Lee, Pak and Ty Hope, Twi, Kanna and La. Toph, Aang, Ling and Chi. Haru, his wife and daughter. She sighed everyone was here except the twins. "Where are they?"

"I don't know they were behind me. I'll send Ling after them since she knows all the hiding spots in this place." Zuko got up and whispered to the girl that he called his niece, even though there was no blood relation, that he needed her to find them.

"Sure Unca Zuko err Fire Lord Zuko I can do that." Ling blushed as she messed up and called him uncle.

"You can call me uncle, but tell them there will be no bending if they don't come." Zuko smiled at her slipping out the nickname that she used when calling him uncle.

Outside in the rose garden…..

"Kenai and Mika you better come to the dinner or no bending for a month!" hollered Ling as she searched for the twins that, since she had grew up with them, were like brother and sister to her. That's why when they went missing she was put in charge to find them because she knew every hiding place.

"Ok Ling you don't have to holler we're coming." was the reply that came from above in the tree she was standing under. She smiled at Kenai's voice. She'd always been able to affect him with her yelling, because, as he said, it sounded like a song instead of yelling. Probably came from her dad she thought as she grabbed his ear and pulled him closer.

"Don't' do that again Kenai." she glared at him. Most people took her for a soft spoken person like her dad, which she was most of the time, but when she was upset or hungry she was more like her mom; Hotheaded, dangerous and deadly sweet.

"Ow, ow, stop that please!" Kenai cried as he was pulled along while his sister walked ahead of them, free from Ling's grasp. He rubbed his ear as she let go and glared at her as he caught up with his sister. He didn't understand Ling sometimes, while she was as sweet as honey she also was as hot tempered as firenation flakes. He put on a smile as he sat down next to his frowning mother and his talking father, he would get it harder than Mika since she was the younger of the two. Even though they were twins Mika had been born a minute after him which made him the older brother. Add in that Ling is the Avatar's daughter and he gets punished more than any of them.

"Well we thank you all for coming to celebrate Ling, Kenai, and Mika's birthdays." Kenai tuned out his dad's speech since it never changed and looked over where Ling sat in between her parents and winced as she looked his way, she was mad and he knew it.

"Well let's eat." Kenai tuned back in time to hear this and since he was the second youngest of the three he had to wait for Ling to get her food before he could grab his.

"Kenai doesn't Ling's hair look nice?" Mika asked her brother as he fixed his and her plate.

"Yeah I guess it does." was the reply she got. She smacked her forehead at her brothers' stupidity. She was giving him a compliment to tell Ling to get him out of the furnace and he wasn't listening.

"Well you don't want her to be mad at you all day do you?" asked Mika as she started eating.

"No why?" Kenai obviously wasn't too bright today.

"Well tell her that her hair looks nice and she won't be mad at you. Girls like compliments like that."

"Oh thanks Mika." replied Kenai as he went back to his dinner and thought that his sister was the smartest person, next to his dad, mom, Uncle Sokka, Aunt Ty Lee, Aunt Toph and Uncle Aang, in the Firenation.

"Hey Ling your hair looks really nice." said Kenai as he sat down after the party next to Ling.

Ling looked up at him from her book and blushed. "Thanks Kenai, Aunt Ty Lee did it."

"Are you still mad at me?" asked Kenai nervously as he lay down next to her.

"No I wasn't mad I just got upset because of what Pak said to me earlier." Ling didn't comment any more on the subject but she did shut her book and lay down next to him, which meant she wanted to talk to him but didn't know how to express what she was thinking. He, Ling and Mika had always had a way of knowing what each other felt since they were only a week apart in age.

"What did he say?" Kenai knew that she didn't upset easily so what his blood cousin said must have been bad.

"He said that I was a disgrace to you and Mika as a friend." said Ling as she turned her back to him and started to sob. Kenai reached to hold her and let her cry on his shoulder and thought that his dad or mom needed to hear this. He wiped her tears away as she stopped crying and walked her to the room she was sharing with Mika and then headed to find his dad and Uncle Sokka sparring swords and the rest of the adults watching. Kenai knew better than to talk to his dad while he was sparring with his swords.

"What are you doing here Kenai, the others are inside." said his mom as she turned to away from watching his dad and uncle.

"Ling was upset about something one of my cousins said to her so I walked her back to her room. Can I talk to you and dad after him and Uncle Sokka get done sparring?" asked Kenai as he intently watched his father and uncle fight since his next lesson in school was on swords.

"Sure I'll tell him not to get into any big meetings this evening." replied his mom as she went back to watching. Kenai walked back inside and into his parent's bedroom to wait on them and thought about what Pak, his only blood cousin that was a boy, had told Ling. Pak had said some mean things to him but had never messed with Ling since she was almost apart of the family since her dad was the Avatar and her mom had taught her dad to earthbend and helped him in the war. He sat up on the bed as he heard his parent's footsteps and told himself not to get mad if they didn't do anything.

"Well Kenai what did you need to tell us?" asked his dad as his mom followed him and shut the door and came to sit on the bed next to him.

"I thought Ling was mad at me for hiding, but when I asked her she said that Pak had said that she was a disgrace as a friend to me and Mika." Kenai hadn't meant to but he realized as his dad hugged him he was crying.

"I'll talk to your Uncle Sokka and let him handle it." Kenai watched as his dad walked out of the room and shut the door and asked his mom if Uncle Sokka would be mad at Ling for telling on Pak.

"No I don't think so." Katara smiled reassuringly as she walked him to Mika's bedroom since he had to share a room with his cousin and he didn't want to get beat up in the middle of the night he'd begged his mom to let him sleep in Mika's bedroom, which she'd agreed to.

Sokka's room…..

Zuko knocked on his brother-in-laws bedroom and heard footsteps and tried to smile but couldn't.

"Zuko what's wrong?" asked Sokka as he stepped outside the door.

"Kenai told me that Ling was upset because Pak told Ling she was a disgrace as a friend to Kenai and Mika."

"I'll talk to him." was all that Sokka said but his look said it all, he was mad.

"Sorry if I woke you up." said Zuko before he walked down the hall back to his and Katara's bedroom and thought that he was glad that Sokka and Aang had recommended him and Katara for an arranged marriage because he couldn't live without her or the twins.

**Thanks for reading please review and let me know if you think I should add another chapter!**


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